Puller-feed sewing machine



Nov. 19, 1929. J. P. WEIS 1,736,297

' FULLER FEED sswme MACHINE Filed Feb. 2, 1927 INVENTOR.

g-Jbmz Pit 81 Patented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN P. WEIS, OF NYACK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR '10 METROPOLITAN SEWDIG MA- CHINE CORPORATION, OF NYACK, NEW YORK, A OORPOR-ATION OI DELAWARE FULLER-FEED SEWING MACHINE Application filed February 2, 1927. Serial No. 165,265.

This invention relates to sewing machines, more particularly to an improved puller feed machine for use with asewing machine in the manufacturing trade, the object of the invention being to provide an improved puller feed machine, simple in construction, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, highly efficient in use and which may be easily and quickly attached to any of the sewing machines in use so that the 0 rating parts including the clutch operating mechanism are readily accessible for adjustment, repairs, oiling and cleaning without disturbing the working mechanisms of the sewing machine and which puller machine may be attached to the sewing machine by a single connecting rod.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a puller feed machine, preferably having an overhanging arm and a base corresponding to similar parts of a sewing machine, and which may be mounted in a desired relation with respect to a sewing machine, the latter and the puller feed machine having driving connections so disposed at the rear end of the two machines as to be accessible for installation and adjustment after mounting of the puller feed machine and independently of the base of either machine.

The stitching of such articles as rugs, carpets,tents, awnings, bags, curtains, draperies, automobile upholstery, blankets, wearing aparel, and a variety of other articles, includmg the stitching of the more delicate fabrics feed acts as a helper. to a$ist in feeding through the heavy, bulky work, thereby re.-

lieving some of the strain on the feeding mechanism of the sewing machine, and assisting in produciifig uniform lengths of stitches and smoot y stitched seams free from uckers.

In t e manufacture of union suits and high grade dress shirts made from the finer materials, there is a tendency to tightly draw up.

ments, the tension on the elastics offers some resistance to the feeding mechanism of the sewing machine. This tension is necessary in order to rulfie the garment so that it may provide fullness to adjust itself to the wearer.

- I have found by the use of a puller mechanism in connection with such a machine that a definite bend may be given to the fabric and the elastic strip while it is feeding through the machine so that the'ruflles or gathers will have uniformity, presenting a ver pleasing appearance which is not readily o tained in any other way so that in nearly all cases under the present methods of manufacturing garments of glove silk or rayon fabrics a puller feed machine serves a very practical purpose in conjunction with a sewing machine.

There are, of course, a great many other uses to which a puller feed machine may be put, as for instance, ironing out or pressing the seams, as well as flattening or ironing out portions of. the stitched articles as they are delivered from the sewing machine.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a front view of this improved puller machine; Fig. 2 is a perspective rear end view illustrating the puller feed machine coupled for operation to a sewing machine; Fig. 3 is a dc tail view of the feeding mechanism of the puller feed machine; Fig. 4 is a sectional view .on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrow and shows one of the feed pawls for giving intermittent movement to the puller feed rollers, and Fig. 5 is a perspective of the backlash pawl. v

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Before explaining in detail the present improvement and mode ofoperation thereof, I desire to have it understood that the inven tion is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invent-ion is capable of other embodiments, and that the phraseology which I employ is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

ing on the In this improved puller feed machine in its preferred form thereof, the base 1 of the machine frame has a foot 2 at the rear and a similar foot 3 at the front end to fasten it to the work table. The frame has a web top portion 4 joining the feet 2 and 3 and the base 1, forming a right angle or L-shaped section terminating in a recessed portion 5, having a curved portion 6, forming a free work space for the bottom puller roller 7. This bottom roller 7 is secured to a shaft 8, mounted in bearings 9, 10 and 11 of the machine frame.

The base has an overhanging arm 12 which is heavily ribbed at the rear to give strength and rigid support for the presser bar 14, operating in bearings 15 and 16. The presser bar has secured thereto a guide block 17 having a projecting end 18, extending between the bifurcated ends of a lifting lever 19 which overlaps the front and-rear of the bar 14. This lever is pivotally connected to the arm 12 as at 21 and has an extending rear end 22 reaching back towards the rear of the machine. A part of this lever abuts against a stop in 23 which limits the upward movement 0 the rear end of the lever. The rear end of the lever is drilled as at 24 to receive a chain or rod whereby it may be operated from below the work table by a foot treadle or knee shift not shown. The means for operating this lever may be connected in such a way as to also operate the presser foot of the sewing machine by yokin the chain or rods together whereby the pu ler roller and the presser foot may be lifted by the same movement. The extending portion 25 of this lever also provides a hand grip so that the lever may also be manipulated by hand. A pressure sprin 26 has its forward end 27 rest- %lock 17 thus exerting a downward pressure while the rear end of the spring 28 rests on the lug 23. An adjusting screw 29 provides means for regulating the pressure of the spring 26 to suit requirements. At the lower end of the bar 14 is secured a yoke 30 which carries the top roller 31 mounted to turn on a shaft 32. This roller 31 is usually fluted, the flutes of which may be of any required form and size to suit the kind and character of work they are to be used on. These rollers are also made with knurled surfaces for feeding on leather, imitation leather, paper and the like, while others may be covered with rubber so as to prevent damaging or marking the material. Others may be highly polished for the pressing or ironing effect. The fluted rollers are usually used for the stitching of rayon, glove silk and the like to get the pronounced ruflled effect, under the contract-ing action of the elastic strips stitched into the pockets or hems.

The lower part of the overhanging arm 12 I is provided with a lug 33, bored to receive one end of a Z-shaped crank 34, adjustable therein and clamped in any desired position by screws 35. This crank acts as an abutment for the back lash pawl 36, the top end of which engages the crank arm, while the lower end 37 engages the rim 38 of the feed wheel 38'. The hub 50 of the feed wheel is secured to the shaft 8 by a key 39 fitting into a keyway. The back lash pawl 33 is drilled to receive a cotter pin 40 having connected to it one end of a spring 41, the other end of which is connected to a screw 42 tapped into a web 43 of the machine frame. By adjusting the crank arm 34, the tension of the spring 41 may be regulated to exert different degrees of pull on the lower end 37 of the pawl. This pawl is recessed as at 44 to provide a pair of gripping members 45 and 46 which overlap the inner and outer faces of the rim 38. The pull of the spring causes this back lash pawl to grip and clamp the rim 38 against backward movement in the direction of the arrow a Fig. 3, while it permits free movement in the opposite direction. The feed wheel 38 has an annular recess or chamber 47 between its hub and rim, providing a free working space for the feed lever 48, which is bored as at 49 to fit the hub 50 of the feed wheel. This lever 48 is free to rock on the hub 50 and is provided with a projecting arm 51 tapped at 52 to receive a ball stud 53. Connected with this stud is a ball socket 54 at one end of a rod 55. This rod has connected to its opposite end a bearing 57 operating freely on an adjustable crank 58 carried by a disk 59 having an adjusting means such as a screw 60, so that the crank may be adjusted to and from the center to change its length of stroke. The disk 59 with the adjustable crank is preferably integral with the belt wheel 61' of the sewing machine and is providing vside walls 65 and Q6, which are drilled to receive pins 67. The drilled hole is blind at one emf-as 68, to prevent the pin from working out in that direction. Pivoted on this pin is the shank portion 69 of a feed wheel pawl 7 9, two being shown. Each feed wheel pawl has an overhanging gripping portion 71 and an end gripping portion 72. Part 71 grips the outside of the feed wheel run 38 while the part 72 grips the inside portion of the rim 38. Each pawlis drilled as at 73 to receive a cotter pin 74, to which is connected one end of a spring 75, the other end being connected to a similar pin 76, also carried by the side walls 65 and 66 in the same manner as the pin 67. The two pawls are diametrically opposite one another and in some instances there may be three or four equally spaced. In practice I fined that two of the pawls render very satisfactory service and seem to last as long as three or four pawls. The action of these pawls under the pullof the springs tends to cause them to grip the feed wheel rim 38, when pull 18 exerted in the'direction of the arrow 1) leading from the end 51 of the lever 48 while they slide freely over the rim when moved in the'opposite direction. By this construction an intermittent movement is provided to ive a step by step motion to the feed wheel an the feed rolls 7 and 31, so that the feed of the material passing from the sewing machine to the puller feed can be regulated to suit requirements. In some instances it is desirable to have the movement of the feed rolls slightl greater than that of. the sewing machine fee The sewing machine shown in the drawings is of the wellknown Metropolitan type, the base of which is indicated at 77, the overhanging arm at 78, a part of the stitching mechanism at 79. The top shaft 80 carries the hand wheel 81 so that the machine may be turned by hand when desired.

From the foregoing it willbe seen that I have provided a puller feed machine which may be easily attached for operation to any of the sewing machines now in use by merel substituting for the wheel on the bottom sha one with an adjustable crank for operating the puller. As will be observed (Fig. 2) the puller feed mechanism may be mounted in any desired relation with respect to the sewing machine, since it'is provided with a base.

formed separately from the base of the sewing machine. The distance between the arms of the two machines may vary in lilferent installations, and theconstruction described is adapted for such variation. After the mounting of the puller mechanism, the driving means may then be connected and properly adjusted. Since this driving means is located as described, the operation of connecting up the drive is a comparatively simple one, the parts being accessible independently of the arms and bases, both for installation and subsequent adjustment or repair. It will also be seen that the puller clutch mechanism is accessible at alltimes for adjustment, repairs, oiling and cleaning, and the working mechanisms of the sewing machine need not be disturbed at all order accessible; while the to connect or disconnect the puller or to make anyradjustinents or repairs for the reason that the only connection between the two is duty of the puller feed machine is tremendous,

especially on the heavier kinds of work. For instance, the high speed at which they operate causes excessive wear on the working parts, and while the present improvement gives most exceptional service under such working conditions, it is nevertheless necessary to make adjustments and repairs and renewals of parts from time to time which can be done in a minimum of time and at a considerable saving in expense. I

While the parts are inex ensive to renew yet the delay Incident to ma 'ng such repairs or renewals is a very'important matter. On

all other puller feed machines now in use the cost of repairs is a considerable item to the users of the machines for the reason that the design of the parts is such as to make them expensive and-since both the puller feed machine as well as the sewing machine must be taken apart in order to get at the mechanism to make the repairs, considerable time is consumed, which not only requires the time of a mechanic, but delays the operator of the machine, which curtailsproduction, all of whichds either obviated entirely or so reduced as to be of considerable importance. From the foregoing it will thus be seen that in the present im roved puller feed mechamsm the feed an operating and regulating means therefor are located at one, as the front, end of the machine, where they are readily driving means for operatlngthe puller feed is located at the opposite and rear end-and, in fact, outside of the ends of the machines-where it is likewise readily accessible for re air, replacement or ad ustment, and this wit out the dismantling of any part of the machine or afiecting the position of one machine relatively to the other; so that the two mechanisms are independent of each other, and consequently the puller rolls can have greater movement than the feed of thesewing machine, as hereinbe fore set forth.

In practice .a suitable guard encloses the I detail herein any particular rm, structure or arrangement, it is not intended tolimit b describing in mechanism, a puller feed machine also having an overhanging arm carrying at its front end a part of the puller feed mechanism, said arms adapted to be mounted in alignment side by side, whereby the puller feed copperates with the sewing machine feed, and means located beyond the rear ends of the two overhanging arms for driving the puller feed from the sewing machine, whereby it is readily accessible without dismantling any part of the machines or affecting their positions relatively to each other, said sewing machine feeding mechanismand said puller feed driving means one being regulatable independently of the other, whereby the puller feed may have a greater movement than the sewingmachine feed.

2. The, combination of a sewing machine having at the front end feeding mechanism and an overhanging arm carrying part of a stitching mechanism adjacent to said feeding mechanism, a puller feed machine also having an overhanging arm carrying atits front end a part of the puller feed mechanism, said arms adapted to be mounted in alignment side by side, whereby the puller feed co-operates With the sewing machine feed, and means located beyond the rear ends of the two overhanging arms for driving the puller feed from the sewing machine, whereby it is readily accessible without dismantling any pa'rt of the machines or affecting their positions relatively to each other, said puller feed driving means being regulatable independently of the sewing machine feeding mechanism, whereby the puller feed may have a greater movement than the sewing machine feed.

3. The combination of a sewing machineend, a puller feed machine also having an overhanging arm located in operative relation in alignment with the sewing machine arm,

- and having its feeding mechanism substantially aligned with the sewing machine stitching and feeding mechanism, and a driving means accessibly located at the opposite end of the sewing machine from said feeding mechanism for operating said puller feed machine, said driving means for the puller feed machine and the sewing machine feed mechanism one being regulatable independently gr the other, whereby the said operating medns is not only readily accessible but the puller "feed may have a greater movement than the sewing machine feed, said. puller feed driving means comprising an intermittently-operated friction clutch at the rear end of the puller feed machine and consisting of a feed Wheel having a rim and a hub, a lever mounted on said sub, a plurality of springcontrolled pawls pivotally supported on said lever in position to frictionally engage the rim of the feed wheel, a crank also carried at the rear end of said sewing machine, a connecting rod between said crank and said lever and a backlash pawl also engaging said rim.

4. The combination of a sewing machine having an overhanging arm and provided with stitching and feeding mechanism at one end, a puller feed machine also having an overhanging arm located in operative relation 1n alignment with the sewing machine arm, and having 1ts feeding mechanism substantially aligned with thesewing machine stitchhave a greater movement than the sewing 1 machine feed, said puller feed driving means comprising an intermittently-operated fric tion clutch at the rear end of the puller feed machine and consisting of a feed wheel having a rim and a hub, a lever mounted on said hub, a plurality of spring-controlled pawls pivotally supported on said lever in position to frictlonally engage the rim of the feed wheel, a crank also carried at the rear end of said' sewing machine, a connecting rod between said crank and said lever and a backlash pawl also engaging said rim, and means for adjusting said pawl.

5. In a puller machine, the combination of a supporting frame having an overhanging arm, a shaft carried by said frame, a puller roller carried thereby, a shiftable bar carried by said arm, a puller roller carried by said arm, means for raising and lowering said last roller, driving means accessibly located outside of the rear ends of said arm and frame for said shaft and comprising a feed wheel havlng a rim and a hub mounted on said shaft,

an operating lever mountedvon said hub and having means co-operating! with the rim of said feed .Wheel for intermittently rotating the same, and means adapted to be connected with a sewing machine for operating said lever;

' 6. In a puller machine, the combination of a supporting frame having an overhanging arm, a shaft carried by said frame, 'a puller roller carried thereby, a shiftable bar carried by said arm, a puller roller carried by said arm, means for raising and lowering said last roller, driving means accessibly located outside of the rear ends of said arm and frame for said shaft and comprising a feed wheel having a rim and a hub mounted on said shaft, an operating lever mounted on said hub and having means co-operating with the rim of said feed wheel for intermittently rotating the same, means adapted to be connected with the sewing machine for operating said lever, and adjustable means carried by the machine and also engaging the rim of the feed wheel for preventing back-lash.

7 In combination, a sewing machine, a puller feed machine adapted to be mounted beside and in alignment with said sewing machine, each of said machines having a lengthwise-extending shaft, said shafts 0.pcrating respectively the sewing machine feed and the puller feed, both of which are located at the front ends of the machines, and said shafts extending beyond the opposite rear ends of the machines, and means accessibly located on the extending ends of said shafts for driving the puller feed from the sewing machine, said means including de-- vices to adjust the drive of the puller feed independently ofthe sewing machine feed.

8. In combination, a sewingmachine having an overhanging arm, a puller feed machine also having an overhanging arm,.said

arm being adapted to be mounted beside and in alignment with the sewing machine arm and at variable distances relative thereto,

means may be thereafter installed and be accessible independently of the arms and supporting bases.

10. In combination, a sewing machine having an overhanging arm, a base and a main shaft exposed at the-rear end of the base and arm, a puller feed machine having an overhanging arm and a base formed separately from said sewing machine base, whereby the puller arm and base may be mounted in alignment with the corresponding parts of the sewing machine and at variable distances relative thereto, a main shaft carried by said puller machine and extended beyond the rear end of its arm and base,means for operating the puller feed machine from the sewing machine disposed at the rear ends of v of January, 1927.

, JOHN P. WEIS.

supporting means for said arms, and means for operating the puller feed machine from the sewing machine disposed at the rear ends of said arms and of said supporting means, said operatin means including connecting devices accesslble at the rear of said arms and independently of the supporting means, whereby the arms may be arranged in the desired relative positions eand'the operating means may be thereafter installed and be accessible independently of the arms and supporting means therefor.

9. In combination, a sewing machine having an overhanging arm, a puller feed machine also having an overhangin arm and adapted to be mounted beside an in alignment with the-sewing machine arm and at variable distances relative thereto, support ing means for said arms, said supporting means including .bases formed separately from one another, and means for operating the puller feed machine from the' machine disposed at the rear ends,0f sai arms and of said supportingbases, said operatin means including connecting devices accessi le at the rear of said arms and of said bases and independently thereoffwhereby the arms and bases may be arranged in the desired relative positions, and the operating 

